This Friday is National Doughnut Day – Plan Accordingly!
Places to grab doughnuts around Arlington and some nearby-ish cult locations.
Masshole Donuts – 2 Lake Street, Arlington. Sometimes. And lots of other places.
Masshole only exists as a pop up, I believe. You can track them on Facebook and find their creative goodies around town. And buy the TShirt. I did. 🙂
Gail Ann Coffee Shop – 10 Medford St, Arlington
I believe the only place in Arlington that regularly makes doughnuts is Gail Ann’s Coffee shop in the Center. I stopped by in the name of research (see above). The place smelled like childhood and the flavor of the honey glazed was out of this world! And….they were HUGE doughnuts.
Perhaps, though, I made a bit of a tactical error here. I went around midday, and the doughnuts weren’t as fresh as they must have been in the early morning. So for a doughnut destination, I will make sure to try them earlier in the day.
Dunkin – 101 Broadway and 369 Mass Ave – Arlington
You can also buy doughnuts in Arlington at the ubiquitous Dunkin’ Donuts, two locations in Arlington. For Donut Day, you can get a free doughnut with a beverage purchase.
Looking for Cult Doughnuts?
Donuts with a Difference – 35 Riverside Ave, Medford
This is our go-to. We stand in line, wait for them to come out warm, and leave with way too many. Notables are the maple and salt caramel. I test many places by the basics….vanilla ice cream, steak with no accouterments, and glazed doughtnuts. The glazed doughnuts have an ever so slight tooth to the glaze before it shatters and then the doughnut is so luscious as it just melts. o.m.g.
Linda’s Donuts – 247 Belmont St, Belmont. Or Watertown.
I’d love to be able to tell you all about Linda’s Donuts in Belmont. Over time I have made several attempts to go. I think this shop represents the epitome of the New England cult destination.
Everyone raves about these doughnuts. The reviews are solid superlatives. The crowds, the flavor, the atmosphere.
I looked up the address because I want you to have it. So that you can tell me about their doughnuts. I know how to drive to it. I have driven there many times. I looked on their website, which is not in service. I went to their Facebook page. 247 Belmont Street, Watertown. Wha? Linda’s is in Belmont. Everyone says so. But Linda’s Facebook page says Watertown?
I am not going to try to sort that out. Drive down Belmont Street in Watertown/Belmont, going toward Cambridge, a couple of blocks past the bridal shop, and it is on the Belmont side of the street. Good enough.
A couple of years ago Eater wrote a review about Linda’s. I had been going to Donuts with a Difference in Medford for so long that I forgot about Linda’s. I had driven by it a zillion times. Have I ever been there? I don’t remember.
So on the heels on the Eater article, I decided to go. I got there, checked the hours before I went, tried to go early in the day….you know where this is going.
There was the sheet of paper taped to the door. You know what this means in New England. We are closed for some comical reason and you might as well walk over and read it, but you know that you aren’t getting doughnuts.
Just as their Eater article came out, she was closed for a week for vacation.
Months later, I sent my husband to get some. Sold out.
I tried to stop as I was driving through town one day. Closed. It was before 2, the stated closing time. But closed.
I was going to go this week on a doughnut crawl. Closed on Mondays.
So I have yet to get a Linda’s doughnut. And this is the enigma of cult things, right?
Venturing Further for Doughnuts
Davis Square Donuts and Bagels – 377 Summer Street, Somerville
He learned to make doughnuts from the head baker at Verna’s. Just sayin’.
Kane’s Donuts – 120 Lincoln Ave, Saugus
Kanes has expanded, making news with their Boston location in the Financial District (90 Oliver Street) and taking up residence with the Orange Dinosaur on “Route 1 in Saugus” (1575 Broadway, Saugus). But THE Kane’s is still at 120 Lincoln Ave in Saugus, and you can buy doughnuts there…starting at 3:30am. Gotta make the doughnuts.
